A particularly grizzly murder took place in New Philadelphia, Ohio in the fall of 1901. Despite the violence of the crime, and the fact that there were a number of potential suspects, no one was ever brought to justice. The victim’s death, and life, were subsequently forgotten. It was a Wednesday afternoon in late OctoberContinue reading “Unsolved and Forgotten: The 1901 Murder of Mrs. Martha Hensel”
Tag Archives: true crime
“Torch Murder” of 1934, Part Two
Investigators believed that they had identified the victim of a brutal killing outside of Dover as that of a Cleveland organized crime figure. However, they were about to learn that the victim of the torch murder was someone whose activities were much more local. Newspapers across the state of Ohio had already run the storyContinue reading ““Torch Murder” of 1934, Part Two”
“Torch Murder” of 1934
Tuscarawas County was not immune when it came to the rise of organized crime before, during, and after the era of Prohibition in the 1920s. The local newspapers carried stories of extortion, bootlegging, murder, and more. During the winter of 1934, Tuscarawas County witnessed a brutal gangland killing in a style reminiscent of the worstContinue reading ““Torch Murder” of 1934″
“Sure I Shot Him”: Murder on Panhandle #34
The State of Ohio was, and still is, crisscrossed with railroad tracks and routes. While the heyday of railroad passenger travel has long since left Ohio, in the early 20th century it was abundant. Those passengers often found themselves travelling through Tuscarawas County on their way to destinations east and west. Sometimes those trains wereContinue reading ““Sure I Shot Him”: Murder on Panhandle #34″
Port Washington’s Stull Distillery (oh, and a murder)
I thought I would take a break from the Fallen Heroes series and look into something new. My neighbor and I enjoy a wee-dram of whiskey every now and then, so I thought I would look into early distilling in Tuscarawas County. I did not expect the examination of one early distilling operation to leadContinue reading “Port Washington’s Stull Distillery (oh, and a murder)”
Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud
Newspaper headlines often offer a snapshot of an exciting, and perhaps scary, event in an otherwise normal person’s life. One such headline jumped out at me from a 1920s issue of a local newspaper and I could not resist learning more. I have chosen not to use Clara’s later married name(s). Charles Thiebaud and hisContinue reading “Kidnapping of “Plucky” Clara Thiebaud”
The Christmas Murder, Part Ten: Henry Wehrli’s Side of the Story
Henry Wehrli’s trial began at the end of May 1891 and the testimony of the prosecution’s witnesses was the same as had been presented in the preliminary hearings shortly after the crime had occurred. What had not been heard was Henry’s version of events that were presented to jury during the trial itself. A note:Continue reading “The Christmas Murder, Part Ten: Henry Wehrli’s Side of the Story”
The Christmas Murder, Conclusion: The Verdict
The evidence and testimony had been presented and heard by the jury. Judge Pearce provided his instructions to the jury and Henry Wehrli’s fate was in their hands. It would not take them long to decide his guilt or innocence. It was at 2 pm on Wednesday, May 27, 1891 that the jury in HenryContinue reading “The Christmas Murder, Conclusion: The Verdict”
Noel B. Poirier 